McCullers will be examined Wednesday after pitching 4 2/3 innings Tuesday night in a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Given who is behind home plate tonight in Houston, “over” bettors should cash in tonight’s Blue Jays and Astros game at 8:10PM ET. “We’re just going to follow protocol and take it step by step and see where we are tomorrow”.
As scant as the support has been, for the third day in a row, the Jays got a superior pitching performance to make just a few runs go a long way. “That’s what happens when guys throw like they do”.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak (14) reaches over the wall for a foul ball hit by Houston Astros’ Preston Tucker (20), for the final out of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016, in Houston.
“We are 24 hours into this, so we don’t have a ton of answers that we are going to have over the next couple weeks”, Hinch said. “Just really the guys behind me, and this offence, and the whole team just gives you a lot of confidence to focus and keep it simple and go out there and have fun and smile every once in a while”.
Unfazed by the doodoo he was in, Biagini calmly fielded a terrific sacrifice bunt by Marwin Gonzalez that advanced the runners and made a strong throw to first for the first out.
Donaldson led off the fourth with a home run to right field before hitting his 27th home run of the season in the sixth.
In any case, Bautista now ranks 10th on the all-time home runs list among active players, trailing Alex Rodriguez (696), Albert Pujols (580), David Ortiz (528), Miguel Cabrera (432), Adrian Beltre (429), Carlos Beltran (414), Mark Teixeira (403), Ryan Howard (371) and Prince Fielder (319). “He has an ability to pick up on what is working for me on any given night”. The left-hander has not lost since June 6 and has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past five starts.
Danny Barnes pitched the eighth before Jason Grilli pitched the ninth for his second save with Toronto and his fourth overall.
Evan Gattis cut the lead to 2-1 with an RBI single in the seventh.
Altuve hit a short fly ball to Jose Bautista in right, not deep enough to score Springer.
Astros: RHP Luke Gregerson was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 28 with a left oblique strain.
Marwin Gonzalez, who had missed the past four games with a right hand injury, had a double in the sixth. He went 1 for 4. To replace him, the Astros called up Brad Peacock from the AAA Fresno.
RHP R.A. Dickey allowed just one run over seven innings, producing the Blue Jays’ American League-leading 69th quality start on the season.
TORONTO: The Blue Jays are 8-3 in Estrada’s last 11 starts and have won four of his last five outings on the road.
Game three of the four game set is Wednesday night with Collin McHugh (7-7, 4.75) facing Marco Estrada (6-4, 3.02).
Blue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki (thumb) swung off a tee Tuesday and was feeling better, Gibbons said.
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DH Jose Bautista clubbed his 300th career home run with two outs in the third inning, a solo shot off Astros RHP Lance McCullers.
